Why do we work?

Do you have a job or a career? Do you enjoy your work? Do you find meaning and fulfillment in what you do? If you don't, then ask yourself, "What would make my job fulfilling?"

Would it be more pay, better location, better benefits, more appreciation in what you do, better co-workers? In other words, does your job satisfaction come from the internal or the external sources? Do uncontrollable outside forces determine the factors that go into a fulfilling career or do they come from within? Are we victims of fate? Do we have to settle for what life has handed us or are we created for something bigger, something better? Can we find fulfillment and purpose in our work?

I believe that not only we can find fulfillment and purpose in what we do, but we are all "hard-wired" with different gifts and talents and it is up to each of us to discover what our talents are. In order to find out how we can find satisfaction, accomplishment and fulfillment in our work, lets start from the beginning.

Why do we work?

This may seem like a simple, meaningless question but take a few minutes in thought and write down your answers before you read on. Brainstorm! Whatever comes to mind, write it down. Take the next five minutes to write down a list of the reasons why you work.

I’m positive that if you have completed this exercise, your list will contain some of the obvious answers. I work so I can:

• Pay the bills
• Take care of my family
• Save for retirement
• Eat

You are probably familiar with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs:

1. First, I need food, water, air rest, etc (basic physiological needs).
2. Second, I need safety and security.
3. I need to belong and feel loved. (friendship, family)
4. Next comes self-esteem. (confidence, achievement, respect of others)
5. Lastly, I need self-actualization. (Am I doing what I’m suited for?)

Your career is no different. At the bottom of this pyramid are our basic physiological needs. We work for food, rest, etc. The higher we move up the pyramid, the more satisfaction and fulfillment we find in our career. If you review your list, you can probably categorize your reasons for working in these five categories (Physiological, Safety, Love/Belonging, Esteem, and Self-Actualization). If your reasons for work are categorized as mostly the first two groups, then I would venture to guess that your work is NOT very fulfilling.

We all work to meet our basic physical needs but ponder this question. Can our work also be spiritual in nature?

The Bible teaches us that King Soloman was the wealthiest man of his time. He had it all. He had wealth, fame, power and wisdom. There was nothing that he denied himself. God had allowed King Soloman to experience everything that life had to offer and in the end, Soloman wrote about what he “discovered”. You can read about it in the book of Ecclesiastes. So, how did Soloman sum it all up?

"A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God." (Ecclesiastes 2:24) That's right! God, the Creator of heaven and earth, who is madly in love with you, wants you to find satisfaction in your work.

Would it be unreasonable to expect to find fulfilling, enjoyable, spiritually significant, income producing work? Dan Miller in his book, "48 Days to the Work You Love" writes:

"...money is ultimately never enough compensation for unhappily investing one's time and energy. There must be a sense of purpose, meaning, and accomplishment." (emphasis mine).


So how do you go about finding a career that gives you purpose, meaning and accomplishment? I remember when I was in college at the University of Florida, as I was nearing graduation, I had a conversation with a close friend. I felt like I was meant to do something, to be somebody but I didn't know what that was. I think that everybody has that inner feeling. I also believe that God has given every human being a call to something higher.

Proverbs 22:6 says, "Teach a youth about the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." As a parent, it is my responsibility to recognize my children's individual gifts and talents and nurture and develop them. We all have a God given ability, differing talents. I believe to truly find satisfaction in your work, you need to give some serious thought to how you are "wired". What are your natural God given gifts and talents?

Think about this for a moment. Are you a good "story teller"? Can you paint a verbal picture when you are describing a complex subject? Maybe you have the heart of a teacher, a people person. You might to well as a teacher or a career in sales. Do you like to take things apart and see how they work? Do you have an inquisitive mind? Maybe you would do well as an engineer. Do you find joy in serving others? Maybe you would do well as a minister or a career in health care.

Ask yourself these questions:

• How has God gifted me?
• What do I enjoy doing the most?
• How would others describe me?
• If money were no object, what would I do?
• What was I born to do?

Some people choose a career based upon family expectations. (My father was a lawyer, his father was a lawyer, etc.) Or maybe you chose a career because you thought it paid well. How did you choose you career? A lot of people I talk to chose their profession because they thought that there would be job security in that industry, it paid well or because of family. When I was growing up, my father always told me that a career in insurance would be a wise choice. After all, everyone needs insurance and his agent (which he had known for the better part of 30 years) was doing quite well financially. My first job out of college was working for a major, well-known Insurance company. I spent 3 years there selling life, health and variable annuity products. After a while, I discovered that I hated selling insurance. I hated calling strangers at home at night while they were eating dinner to tell them that one day, they would die and by the way, "would you like to buy some insurance?"

Choosing a career because it pays well is a mistake. Chose a career because you enjoy doing it. I guarantee you, the money will follow.

If you are not finding fulfillment in your career path and you would like a game plan that will point you in the right direction, there is an excellent book that I would strongly recommend. "48 Days to the Work You Love" by Dan Miller. Another book I would strongly recommend is "Thou Shall Prosper" by Rabbi Daniel Lapin. Both of these books can radically change your thinking about your money and your career.

Tim Cook is the President of PathFinder Staffing, an Oil & Gas search firm based in Houston, Texas. He has been recruiting in the oil and gas industry since 1995. You can write to him at tcook@pathfinderstaffing.com.